Four epic journeys.

One destiny-determining time of life.

Welcome to Wildhood.

Join Harvard and UCLA evolutionary biologist Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and science writer Kathryn Bowers as they trek the world to reveal the planet-wide drama and adventure of adolescence in the wild.

The story is told through the real-life coming-of-age experiences of animal adolescents tracked by scientists around the globe. Upending our understanding of everything from anxiety disorders to risk-taking to the origins of privilege and the nature of sexual coercion and consent, Wildhood is an essential guide to the life skills essential to surviving adolescence and thriving as an adult.

Winner of the Association for Science Education’s 2020 Book of the Year Award

New York Times Book Review Editor’s Pick

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Wildhood is a developmentally normal and universal phase of life which can imperil but also empower maturing individuals. Human adolescence is increasingly characterized by high rates of accidental injury and death, depression and anxiety, sexual assault, and an inability to become independent. Looking across species and evolutionary time for universal principles of wildhood can help us better understand, guide, and support individuals going through it.